1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an information apparatus installing desk in which by allowing a pen-shaped or mouse-shaped coordinate indicator or a finger or the like to face an input surface, coordinate input means for detecting coordinates of a position of the coordinate indicator, finger, or the like and display means such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) or the like are integratedly constructed.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, in an information apparatus as mentioned above, namely, in a computer, a word processor, a facsimile apparatus, or the like (hereinafter, generally referred to as a computer), or their terminal equipment, there has been devised and manufactured an information apparatus for executing various kinds of operations by integratedly constructing the coordinate input means and display means and by inputting by using a pen-shaped or mouse-shaped coordinate indicator or by a finger because of the improvement of a performance of a computer such as CPU, memory, or the like, the advancement of a software technique such as OS, application, or the like, the progress of a technique of a digitizer or a tablet, the progress of a flat panel display technique represented by an LCD, the progresses of various manufacturing techniques, and the like.
The above information apparatuses are generally classified into several types depending on their shapes. Schematic constructions of the above various types will now be shown and described hereinbelow.
A computer called a desk-top type is constructed by a main body having therein a CPU, a memory, and the like, a monitor comprising a CRT, a keyboard, a mouse, and the like. As a part of them, there is also a computer in which a main body and a monitor are integratedly constructed. A transparent tablet which is so called a resistive film system (or pressure sensitive system) is provided for the front surface of a display surface of the monitor. The tablet of the resistive film system has a construction such that two glass plates or resin films having transparent resistors are overlaid with a predetermined gap by making the resistor surfaces face each other. By depressing by a pen, finger, or the like, the two resistors come into contact with each other. A ratio between currents flowing in the resistors is obtained while using a contact point as an electrode, thereby detecting the coordinates of a position of the pen, finger, or the like.
A computer of a lap-top type, book type, or notebook type has an almost rectangular parallelepiped casing and is constructed in a manner such that a lower casing which has therein a CPU, a memory, a keyboard, and the like and an upper casing having display means of a flat panel such as LCD, plasma display (PDP), or the like can be freely opened and closed like a double-spread page. Coordinate input means is provided on the front or rear surface of the display means. As such coordinate input means, any one of various systems such as resistive film system, electromagnetic inductive system, electrostatic capacitor coupling system, ultrasonic wave using system, and the like can be used. According to the electromagnetic inductive system, the coordinate input means is made of one or two or more glass or resin plates each having loop-coil-shaped transparent electrode patterns in the X and Y directions. The coordinates of the position of the coordinate indicator are detected by the coupling of a magnetic field between the electrode and a coil provided for the pen-shaped or mouse-shaped coordinate indicator. According to the electrostatic capacitor coupling system, the coordinate input means is made of one or two or more glass or resin plates each having line-shaped transparent electrode patterns in the X and Y directions. The coordinates of the position are detected by an electrostatic coupling between the electrode and the coordinate indicator. According to the ultrasonic wave using system, by detecting a vibration which is propagated in an input plate, the coordinates of the position of the coordinate indicator are detected.
A computer of a pen-input type has an almost rectangular parallelepiped casing and a CPU, a memory, display means of a flat panel, and the like are provided in the casing. The coordinate input means is provided on the front or rear surface of the display means. The coordinate input means uses any one of various systems such as resistive film system, electromagnetic inductive system, electrostatic capacitor coupling system, ultrasonic wave using system, and the like.
The tablet as a computer terminal which is constructed by only the input means and display means also has an almost rectangular parallelepiped casing in a manner similar to the computer of the pen-input type mentioned above.
There is a desk for a television conference system which is so called an information apparatus installing desk in which the computer or tablet is installed as mentioned above. Such a desk is installed in a conference room or the like and the above computer or tablet is provided on the top plate surface with a predetermined inclination.
The operations of the information apparatus and information apparatus installing desk with the above construction will now be described. When the operator allows the coordinate indicator or his finger to approach or come into contact with the input surface, coordinates of the position of the coordinate indicator or finger, namely, an input point is detected by the coordinate input means and is outputted from the coordinate input means to the CPU. On the basis of an output result of the position coordinates of the input point, the CPU executes a predetermined function, for example, a menu command or the like. By a driving circuit of the display means, the point corresponding to the position of the indicator or finger can be also displayed by the display means. When the input is continuously performed by the indicator or finger, by connecting a group of input points detected at a predetermined sampling rate by a line, a locus of the operation of the indicator or finger can be displayed on the display means. Further, by discriminating and judging the locus, a recognition of a character or a figure, an execution of a gesture command, or the like can be performed. Moreover, various data can be communicated among a plurality of information apparatuses through a predetermined communication network.
The conventional information apparatus constructed as mentioned above has the following problems.
The desk-top type information apparatus generally has a monitor of a size in a range from about 10 to 20 inches as a diagonal line and is put on the desk and is used. Therefore, a space that is occupied by such an apparatus on the desk is extremely large. If the computer main body and a keyboard, a mouse, or an auxiliary memory device are also included, they occupy an area in a range from almost half to the entire surface of the top plate of each desk which has dimensions of a width of about 1200 to 1500 mm and a depth of about 700 mm and is used in various ordinary offices. In a special case, an exclusive-use desk has to be prepared to install the computer. In the works using the information apparatus as mentioned above, only the information apparatus is not always merely used but an original, resources, a manual, or the like is also used. When almost of the space on the desk is occupied by the information apparatus, there is problem such that a working efficiency is extremely bad. There is also a problem such that it is difficult to execute other tasks which are performed on the desk without using the information apparatus. It will be obviously understood that in case of the exclusive-use desk of the computer works, there are problems such that a space to install such an exclusive-use desk is needed and the operator needs to go to the exclusive-use desk each time he executes work and a working efficiency is extremely bad. In the desk-top type, in case of inputting by using the pen or finger, since such an inputting operation is executed to the input surface (also display surface) that is almost perpendicular to the surface of the top plate of the desk, there are problems such that the working performance is extremely unnatural and a burden is imposed on the operator it is remarkably difficult to execute the works for a long time.
The lap-top type has a flat panel display of about 10 inches as a diagonal line and its casing has dimensions of a width of about 300 mm and a depth of about 400 mm. There are problems such that a space occupied on the desk surface is large and such a large size obstructs the other works. Although the casing can be also vertically enclosed in order to assure a space for executing the other works, there are problems such that if the casing of a weight of a few kilograms is moved, installed, and enclosed on the desk each time it is used, a working performance is bad and a burden is imposed on the operator.
The book/notebook type has a flat panel display of about 10 inches or less as a diagonal line and is more advantageous as compared with the above two types in terms of the occupation space or enclosing space and also has a portability. However, since the size of input and display screen or keyboard is limited to a small size, there is a problem such that an operability including a visibility (way of seeing and easiness in looking of the screen) or a working performance is bad.
In the lap-top type and book/notebook type, the inputting operation by the pen or finger needs to be performed to the input and display screen in a double-spread page state while striding over the keyboard, so that operability is remarkably bad. In order to improve the operability, for example, as shown in JP-B-7-19186, there is also an apparatus constructed in a manner such that the input and display screen portion is swung so as to be located over the keyboard. In the above construction, however, since there are a thickness of the keyboard portion and thicknesses of the digitizer or tablet and the flat panel display unit, a level difference of tens of millimeters occurs between the input surface and the upper surface of the desk. The operator cannot stably put his hands or elbows onto the input surface or desk top surface. Dissatisfaction still remains in the operability.
The pen input type has a flat panel display of about 10 inches or less as a diagonal line. As an external shape of the casing, there are various sizes in a range from a small size to the A4 size. The pen input type is advantageous from a viewpoint of the occupation space or enclosing space and also has a portability. However, a size of input and display screen is further limited to a small size than that of the book/notebook type, so that there is a problem such that the operability including a visibility (way of seeing and easiness in looking of the screen) or a working efficiency is bad. On the other hand, since the CPU, memory, flat panel display, digitizer, and the like are provided in the casing, the casing has a thickness of tens of millimeters. Because of such a thickness, there is also a problem such that the operator cannot stably put his hands or elbows onto the input surface or desk top surface and the operability is bad.
The tablet as a computer terminal which is constructed by only the input means and display means also has a size similar to that of the pen input type and its visibility (way of seeing and easiness in looking of the screen) or working efficiency is bad. In a manner similar to the pen input type, there is also a problem such that the operator cannot stably put his hands or elbows onto the input surface or desk top surface because of a thickness of a certain degree such as to cause the operability of the casing deteriorate.
The desk for a television conference system in which the information apparatus is installed is a desk constructed only for use of a conference and nothing is considered with respect to an enclosing performance and a portability of the information apparatus installed. Since the oblique surface of the information apparatus is always fixedly positioned on the top plate surface, there is a problem such that it is extremely difficult to execute the other works.